US Motorcycle Sales First Half 2011 Results

Thu, 28 Jul 2011

The U.S. motorcycle industry saw a 4.6% decrease in year-on-year sales over the first six months of 2011, thanks mostly to a 17.3% drop in ATV sales. Motorcycle and scooter sales however saw a 1.7% bump in the first half .

Unfortunately, most of that gain in two-wheeled vehicle sales was due to a strong first quarter that saw a year-on-year increase of 7.2%. Second quarter motorcycle and scooter sales totaled 156,215 units, down 1.6% compared to 158,686 units sold in the second quarter 2010.

Compiled by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the figures represent sales over the six months ended June 30, 2011, from 19 reporting manufacturers: Aprilia, Arctic Cat, BMW, Buell, Can-Am, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husaberg, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha.

Scooter sales in were particular strong, with 18,198 units sold, a 28.9% increase from the 14,122 units sold in the same period of 2010. Dual sport motorcycles also saw a good year-on-year increase, up 13.0% to 15,876 units. Streetbikes showed a modest 3.3% increase to 187,565 units. Off-road motorcycle sales continued to struggle however, with the industry selling 37,123 units, down 16.9% from 2010.

Sales over the first half of 2011 from the Motorcycle Industry Council Type 2011 2010 Change % Change ATV* 103,730 125,414 -21,684 -17.3% Dual-Sport 15,876 14,045 +1,831 +13.0% Off-Hwy 37,123 44,673 -7,550 -16.9% On-Hwy 187,565 181,542 +6,023 +3.3% Scooter 18,198 14,122 +4,076 +28.9% Motorcycle
Sub-Total 258,762 254,382 +4,380 +1.7% Grand
Total 362,492 379,796 -17,304 -4.6% *ATV sales figures do not include side-by-side sales

[Source: MIC]

Related Reading
US Motorcycle Sales Up 7.2% in Q1 2011
Industry Sales down 23% in Q1 2010

By Dennis Chung